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Contents
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Page No.
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Preface
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Preface
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vii
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1990 was the death centenary year of Mahatma Jotirao Phule, 1991
was the birth centenary year of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar-the two great men who
died to free the Hindus from the curse of casteism.
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Part I
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Birth and Childhood
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3
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Jotirao Phule was one of the foremost exponents of modern
humanitarian thought in India, though there have been several others such as
Raja Rammohun Roy in Bengal, Swami Dayanand in Gujarat, etc.
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Educating Women and Sudras
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10
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Jotirao set himself to the task of seeking educational reforms.
He was convinced that both the women and the Sudras from the Hindu community
should avail themselves of modern education. At the time, even the Brahmins
were opposed to educating their women.
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Social Reforms
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17
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After founding educational institutions, Jotirao turned his
attention to social reforms by striking at age-old social traditions.
Earlier, Rammohun Roy had fought against the practice of Sati in Bengal which
was subsequently abolished in 1829.
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Opposition to Brahmins and Untouchability
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21
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Jotirao was a poet too and wrote poetry well. He published a
book of povadas. A magazine, called Vividha Dnanavistar, published his poems,
although the intention was to highlight that Jotirao's views were wrong.
According to Jotirao, the Brahmins were the Aryans who came to India from
Iran and were responsible for the degradation of the original inhabitants of
this country (the Kshatriyas), whom they looked down upon as the Sudras.
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Crusade for Farmers' and Workers' Rights
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29
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In the first half of 1877, thought-provoking lectures were given
in the Satyashodhak Samaj Griha in Vithal Peth in Pune in order to inculcate
a spirit of rationalism and a scientific outlook among the followers. One
such lecture was on the problem of poverty in India.
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Representation to Hunter's Commission
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34
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In 1882, in order to examine the question of education in India,
the government appointed a Commission under the chairmanship of Sir William
Hunter. In Pursuit of its aim to educate many, Hunter toured the country to
meet important personalities in the public field.
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The Farmer's Whip
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42
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Man's primary needs are directed at the production of food and
clothing. Hence, it is important for the farmer community to be healthy and
strong. Modern society has been built on the industrial revolution but it
still requires the support to its foundation from the farmer community.
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True Religion for the People
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46
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Jotirao had to endure severe physical pain to write his book.
His right hand been badly affected due to paralytic stroke. With strong
conviction that it was necessary to complete the message, as set out in his
Gulamgiri, he willed himself to write the book, Sarvahanik Satyadharma with
his left hand.
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The Last Seven Years
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49
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People from non-Brahmin castes gathered in large numbers under
Jotirao's banner. One of the important programmes of the Satyashodhak Samaj
was to ceremonially perform a religious rite, a marriage function, a
house-warming ceremony, without the assistance of a Brahmin priest.
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Nirmik' is God
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56
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Jotirao had written the Sarvajanik Satyadharma before his death
but it was published posthumously. In the introduction to the book he said:
In this vast, boundless space of ours the 'Nirmik' (Creator) has created all living
beings along with innumerable solar systems and their planets and satellites.
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Religion is Righteous Conduct
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64
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As we have seen Jotirao discussed an important aspect of
religion in the Sarvajanik Satyadharma where he wondered as to who could be
said to practice truthful (righteous) conduct! The following is in addition
to the points alluded to in an earlier section:
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Epilogue
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69
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Jotirao's offensive against Hindusim, especially the
Brahmin-dominated Hindu social system and culture, was in sharp reaction to a
particular historical, social and political situation. There is no doubt that
it was justified.
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Glossary
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70
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Abhang: A metrical composition in praise of a deity.
Abhishek: Dropping, drop by drop (holy water, milk, etc.) over an idol, a
king, an officiating priest, a sick person, etc. by way of ceremonial
ablution.
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Part II
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Jotinibandha-An Essay on Jotiba
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75
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The first man to revolt against social slavery in India was
Jotiba Phule.
With British rule in India began the introduction of western culture and
western reforms in the country. Westerners had come into contact with India
on account of trade several centuries before the British rule began.
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